Part I
Course Duration: One semester
Credit Units: 3
Level: B4
Medium of Instruction: English
Medium of Assessment: English
Prerequisites:
SS2029 Basic Sociology or its equivalent and
SS2027 Social Statistics and Research Methods or its equivalent
Precursors: Nil
Equivalent Courses: Nil
Exclusive Courses: Nil
Part II
Course Aims:
This course aims to equip students with the required knowledge and skills to understand the complexity of the ‘social experiences of risk' in the contemporary world and to examine appropriate risk management strategies to mange the risks.
Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
No. | CILOs | Weighting |
1. | Describe major theoretical approaches to risk perception; | 30% |
2. | Apply different approaches to risk perception to analyze the perception of specific risks; | 30% |
3. | Evaluate the implications of different theoretical approaches of risk perception to risk policy practice, risk communication and risk management; and | 20% |
4. | Construct and evaluate appropriate risk management strategies to a specific risk. | 20% |
Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to facilitate students' achievement of the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)
ILO No | TLA1 | TLA2 | TLA3 | Hours/course
(if applicable) |
CILO 1 | X | | | --- |
CILO 2 | X | | | --- |
CILO 3 | X | X | X | --- |
CILO 4 | X | X | X | --- |
TLA1: Lecture
Major theories and concepts of risk assessment and management are described and explained.
TLA2: Project Presentation
This involves teaching and training of skills for analyzing specific risks in the regional and local context.
TLA3: Field Observation
Students are provided with chance to learn and apply knowledge in guided field observation.
Assessment Tasks/Activities
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)
CILO No | Type of assessment tasks/activities | Weighting | Remarks |
CILO 1 | AT1: Quiz | 30% | |
CILO 1-4 | AT2: Group Project | 40% | |
CILO 2-3 | AT3: Individual Term Paper | 30% | |
AT1: Quiz (30%)
This assesses students' knowledge of theories and concepts related to risk analysis assessment and management. The quiz will compose of short question only.
AT2: Group Project (40%)
This assignment assesses student competence in integrating theories and research skills to analyze a specific social risk in the local context. Students work in small groups, identify a topic and to conduct a small scale study. They need to collect data by various methods (e.g. simple survey) and present their findings of their project in tutorial. They also need to present their recommendations on how to manage the risk as perceived.
Each group will compose of 3 to 5 students. Each presentation will be 80 mins max, including discussion.
AT3: Individual Term Paper (30%)
Based on the observational field visit in this course, each student has to report the type of risks identified, and use appropriate theoretical approaches to explain how people perceive the risk and derive their own management strategies. Max: 1,500 words.
Grading of Student Achievement:
Grading mode: Standard (A+, A, A-...F). Grading is based on student performance in assessment tasks/activities.
Part III
Keyword Syllabus:
Objectivist and constructivist view of risk; risk perception: heuristics and biases, cultural theory, the psychometric model, social amplification of risk framework (SARF), social network contagion theory, social trust, personality, lay versus expert judgments, media and stigma; risk versus vulnerability analysis; terrorism; risk society and new social risks, social policy and risk management